Peru Natura attracts an international crowd

With growing demand for quinoa, chia, sacha inchi, cacao, maca and other ancient nutritious super foods, the 6th edition of PeruNatura will be a major attraction once again for foreign and local buyers gathering at the 4th Expoalimentaria fair in Lima Peru, Sep 19-21.

Around 30 Peruvian firms and producer cooperatives will display the best organic and/or fair trade certified ingredients and foods from the Peruvian biodiversity, most of them well known for their nutritional and therapeutic properties.

Ecuador and Bolivia will also showcase companies with gourmet, ethnic and organic offerings. “Trade among Latin American countries has opened and many consumers in the region are also looking for healthy foods”, said Javier Fernandez of Bolivian firm Andean Valley, a leading quinoa food company with strong presence in Brazil, and more recently, in Colombia and Costa Rica.

An international show like Expoalimentaria in the region offers a great stage for stimulating interest in neighboring countries, and not just the traditional north-south trade. Mexican exhibitor Best Ground will present its line of agave syrup, while Pacari Chocolate will return showing the Andean Flavors collection and other lines in high demand not only in Europe and North America, but also at home and other Latin countries like Peru. Pacari combines premium “arriba” single origin bio dynamic cacao and Peruvian pink salt of Maras, Chilean Merken, Andean blueberries and lemongrass. “We will be at the Expo. Our lines are now present at the main Peruvian supermarket chains”, said co-founder Santiago Peralta. Expoalimentaria is also a showcase for machinery and equipment, seafood and fisheries, packaging and other Industry and government services. Other country pavilions include Brazil, Colombia, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Switzerland.

Show organizer ADEX, the Peruvian Exporters Association, in cooperation with Promperu, the Ministries of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs expect 600 exhibitors, 2,000 international buyers and 30,000 local visitors attending this year’s edition, 10% more than in 2011. Supermarket chains Winn Dixie Inc (USA), Loblaw Co. Limited (Canada) and Unifrutti (UAE) are among the top 40 VIP buyers confirmed for this edition. Organic foreign buyers this year seem to be looking for dried, fresh and frozen fruits, besides quinoa, chia and other ethnic and nutritious superfoods. The majority come from neighboring countries, Europe and North America, but there are also visitors from South Africa , Asia and the Middle East. “It will be my first trip to Peru, although I have been already in contact with a couple of suppliers”, said Eric Bar-Chen of R.B.Capricorn International Enterprises Ltd. a sourcing agency for organic and health food, organic animal feed and bulk raw ingredients in Israel. “I look forward to visit the Expo and tour around Peru after”, he said.

Expoalimentaria includes the 5th Forum for Organic Products, the 2nd International Seminar “Emprende Peru”, the1st Innova Pack forum for packaging solutions the 7th Seafood & Fisheries Convention and the new Andean Grains and the Cacao and Coffee pavilions. There is also a display area for the finalists in the “Innovation Contest”.